Take a deep breath. There is a lot of uncertainty on the horizon for 2018 as we face some big questions.

We’ve faced uncertain times before, and we will certainly face them again. So let’s move past that and focus on the now and your plan for the future. Despite the potential for turmoil in any possible future, you shouldn’t neglect the importance of planning and the value of holding yourself accountable to your path.

Many advisors shoot for the moon with their business plans. They project big growth and a wave of new clients, but then they don’t look back at that plan until the end of the year. Not surprisingly, these advisors rarely hit the growth targets they’ve ambitiously set out for themselves, and then they’ll find excuses to justify why they didn’t end up where they planned to go.

“Well, I lost a few big clients.”

“I didn’t get enough leads.”

“Some legislation changed.”

These excuses are hollow when you use your plan as a tool for guiding your day to day business.

Let’s look at an example: Getting a spacecraft to the moon is no easy task. There are thousands of known variables to account for—gravity, rotation, orbit, thrust, fuel, friction, weight—but in the early days of NASA there were many unknowns simply on the virtue of the fact that no one had ever been to the moon before. They made their plan with as much education as they could, and then they built in systems that would help them stay on the line that would have them reach the moon at the exact right time and place.

Staying on that line was the key to mission success, so spacecraft are built with dozens of maneuvering thrusters designed to make minor course corrections as a journey progresses. By watching the trajectory of the craft closely, the craft can be nudged back into line as soon as it deviates. The farther a shuttle drifts off the line, the harder it is to get it back. It takes more time, it takes more resources, and wasting either of those could jeopardize the entire mission.

Waiting until the end of the year to check in on your business plan is like seeing the moon out your window and seeing if you’re still on the right path for your chosen landing zone. By then, it’s too late.

If we take this analogy back down to Earth, think about how you engage your current clients. If you’re like most advisors, you likely check in with clients quarterly or at the least semi-annually. You recognize that a client’s financial plan is always fluid. Life events or opportunities in the market can impact the plan, so you insist on revisiting the plan from time to time to ensure its long-term success. You’re keeping the plan on the right line, and this process is similar to how you should be handling your own business plan.

As you plan for 2017, identify the line that will take you where you want to go, and put systems in place to keep you on track. Those systems could include:

Monthly check-ins with your team. Quarterly meetings where you dedicate an entire day to taking stock of everything that has happened so far and what you can do to continue growing. Annual meetings where you set aside a few days to develop a thorough and comprehensive plan for the future while learning from the past.

Projections that account for a potential loss of clients. Check back over your business history to get a sense of what sort of attrition you can expect.

An honest assessment of your new business development efforts. Your growth rate won’t change if your strategy and tactics stay the same, so consider doing something new and aggressive if you want to see new opportunities.

A CEO or business coach to help hold you accountable and also provide expert insight into your challenges.

An appointment setting firm to give you a steady pipeline of the qualified prospects that you need to grow.

Delegate day-to-day management and service tasks so that you can focus more on sales and business development.

Going to the moon is not easy, but that’s why so few people have done it. In that same vein, achieving explosive exponential growth is possible, but it will take deliberate effort, a well-crafted plan, and accountability. By staying current during the year with the plan, you end up looking at historical data you understand, not hysterical data.

John is the VP of Business Development at The PT Services Group. He researches new types of business and manages and initiates strategic, corporate-level relationships to expand exposure for The PT Services Group. John came to The PT Services Group in 2011. Before that, he owned and operated an Ameriprise Financial Services franchise for 16 years.

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Endorsements

The PT Services Group gets it! They worked with us to define our key markets then generated a new business development strategy to ensure the results we needed. After just one year of service, new commercial applications are up 37% and new commercial Direct Written Premium is up 25%! We are looking forward to continued success partnering with our amazing team at The PT Services Group.

Deborah W | Summerfield, NC | PT Client since 10/1/2014

I have been in the financial and 401(k)/retirement business for over 25 years and it is extremely difficult to find time to prospect for qualified business appointments. The PT Services Group has consistently provided qualified business appointments month in and month out. PT Services is different from their competitors. Their associates are well educated about the products I am presenting which leads to highly productive meetings. I have had several new prospects tell me personally that they scheduled an appointment with me because of the nice and friendly mannerism of the PT Services personnel. I credit PT with helping me get new business in the door and am extremely grateful for this new approach to business.

We have worked closely with The PT Services Group since 2007, and the results have been impressive. Activity is the key to most sales organizations growing, and The PT Services Group is an integral part of our prospect activity each month. Their system delivers results, and their people are easy to work with and flexible. I look forward to many more years with PT and to seeing where our partnership takes us in the future!

“I am so impressed with your Marketing Associates’ desire to understand our business and to use that knowledge to secure quality leads for our agency. Our industry has changed drastically over the past few years and your commitment to staying on top of the changes certainly sets you apart from other typical telemarketing firms. It is no wonder you are able to secure appointments when others can’t. Our appointments are well qualified and always handled with the utmost professionalism. “

I’ve been in the insurance and financial services arena for 30 years and have never partnered before with a company that has made such an impact on my business. The PT Services Group confirms and qualifies my appointments, which allows me time to focus on my clients and their goals. This in turn has a direct effect on selling and making money. The PT Services Group has become my number one source of new clients.

Tim A | Tim A | Lafayette, LA | PT Client since 2005

PT has been great at providing consistent activity with qualified business owners who are open to a conversation about business succession planning. My ongoing campaign with PT is a good complement to my other sources of prospects, such as referrals, in building a healthy pipeline of new business opportunities. Their professionalism and genuineness make for a solid partnership.

I just returned from an appointment set by The PT Services Group – another good appointment I should add. I decided to take a look at what The PT Services Group has meant to my practice, not only over the past year, but over the entire time our firms have worked together. Here’s what I found: – The PT Services Group is directly responsible for over 40% of my agency’s $5 million book of business. Of the 88 appointments that I have met with, I rated 77 (86%) as either highly qualified or qualified. As you can see, The PT Services Group has indeed had a very significant impact on my firm, and for that I sincerely thank you.

Tom S

The PT Services Group has been a consistently reliable, professional, responsive, and results-driven partner in my marketing efforts… Because of your marketing associates’ efforts, I have sold several sizable cases that I would not have seen without the help of The PT Services Group. The PT Services Group has played an important role in the development of my client base, and my ROI from your services certainly warrant my continued association with your organization.

Rick F

One of the biggest concerns I had when I hired The PT Services Group was perception from prospective clients when they get a call. If the first impression isn’t good, the chances for success are low indeed. I am pleased to report that I have had numerous comments from prospective clients about the person who called them and how professional they were. They’ve commented about how many times they get contacted on a daily basis by others seeking their time but somehow they felt the call from our firm (The PT Services Group) was different. That’s why I have continued working with The PT Services Group.

Boyce L

We were one of the first firms to utilize The PT Services Group’s Qualified plans calling program and we have been using their services as a supplement to our own marketing efforts ever since. They exceeded my expectation in terms of quality of appointments and the size of the prospects that they have been able to get us in front of. They have also played a key role in helping our firm establish business in a new geographic market. PT Marketing can make a real difference in increasing your pipeline.

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